**This Post was written in 2019. As such, the content and exhibits in the review below may be outdated. Please look out for updated content on this location in the near future!
It’s already mid-July and nothing says July like blueberry picking. Well, actually the scorching heatwave we are entering also screams July, but let’s try to move past that. I plan to melt this weekend, but at least I have 5 lbs of blueberries to help me through it.
Over the last couple years, I’ve discovered some great local pick-your-own farms. There are a ton of PYO blueberry farms in this state – and this year there seems to be a great crop of blueberries. During my many drives around the area, I have seen a lot of signs for blueberry PYO, more than I’ve ever noticed before.
This summer I decided to try the very popular Dzen Farm. They offer pick-your-own at Blueberry Hill right in Broad Brook. The season kicked off early in July, and has been going strong since. They offer pick-your-own every day of the week. During the weekdays they run from 8 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. On weekends, they are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We headed over on a pretty hot day but we waited until 5 p.m. It was still warm outside but with the sun lower in the sky, it was not super hot. We also made it out just before the peak time when the gnats start coming out. During these hot days, you’ll want to either head over really early or go later in the evening (but spray yourself with some bug spray first).
Blueberry Hill was easy to find. If you are familiar with Dzen Farms at all, it’s actually right up the road from their pick-your-own Christmas tree farm on Barber Hill Road.
They have plenty of signs for Blueberry Hill.
Once you’ve entered, you’ll travel down a short road (past the white farm house) and head to the blueberry orchard. Just look for the netting. There is ample parking. I also spotted a port-a-potty near the parking lot, in case of emergency.
Once you’ve parked, you’ll want to head to the red shack. From there, you’ll be given instructions on where to pick as well as a container to put your blueberries in.
Just behind the red structure was the entrance to the blueberry orchard. The whole thing is completely netted in – which prevents birds and other animals from getting in; and your child from getting out! Always a win! The netting was pulled open for us to enter.
The blueberry orchard itself was pretty large. The whole thing was very flat (no hills). Since it’s a working farm, you’ll want to be mindful of bumpy terrain. As always, I foolishly wear my flip flops everywhere. It might be smart to wear sneakers here.
This is definitely a family and kid friendly place. I saw lots of little ones picking blueberries with their parents. You could barely contain the excitement coming out of this child!
As I mentioned above, they did have a specific area for picking on the day we visited, as is normal at most farms. They had the rows marked clearly with orange flags. We headed for the last row in the marked off section.
The rows are really wide. So it’s easy to have people on both sides picking from opposite blueberry bushes. Since it is a farm, it is bumpy and there are branches sticking out. Just be mindful of this when walking around, or letting your kids run around.
I love blueberry picking with kids because the bushes are just the right height for them. He’s also at that perfect age where he understands to pick the bluest ones (I told him blue like Thomas) and I can trust him enough to turn my back while we both pick from our own bush. We’re finally past the blueberry smooshing phase! He had a great time filling up his container.
As you can see, he chose to carry a small container to fill with blueberries. I, on the other hand, chose to rock the bucket necklace. I love these because they are hands-free and can hold a fair amount of blueberries – roughly five to six pounds.
The blueberries this year are phenomenal. Dzen Farm’s blueberries were huge, plentiful and super sweet!
We only spent about 20 minutes picking blueberries, but we filled our container with almost five pounds of blueberries. He was very proud of his pickings.
We headed back to the red shack to have our blueberries weighed and to pay. The blueberries are $3.50/lb. They accept cash and check. Make sure you have either on you – like most farms, there is no credit option.
We transferred our blueberries to a box to take home – it looks like less when it’s spread out in such a wide container. But that was almost five pounds. As my husband said, it wasn’t enough. I told him he can go back this weekend and get more.
We had a really great experience picking blueberries at Dzen Farm’s Blueberry Hill. This is a great way to support your local farmers. And you get to take home some excellent fruit as well as some great memories. There’s a reason blueberry picking is one of my favorite summer activities! If you are looking to pick some blueberries, consider heading over to Dzen Farm this year!
This about sums it up…
87 Barber Hill Road – Broad Brook, Connecticut
Hours:
2019 Schedule:
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Features:
- Pick your own blueberries
- Family friendly & toddler friendly!
- Cash or check only
- Sunny (it is a farm!)
- Wear sneakers, and dress accordingly!
- Ample parking
- Netted orchard
- Port-a-potty on site – no changing table
